The effect of various concentrations of tocopherols and tocopherol mixtures on the oxidative stability of a sample of lard

Abstract

A comparison was made of α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol at various concentrations and a mixture of these tocopherols representing the average tocopherol content of peanut oil on the oxidative stability of lard at 97C. Uptake of oxygen was used to indicate the length of the induction period. The antioxidant effectiveness of the tocopherols was found to increase in the order α, δ, γ. The antioxidant efficiency decreases with increasing concentrations of tocopherols such that addition of any single tocopherol above a concentration of 250 µg/g has little effect on oxidative stability. A mixture equivalent to that of an average peanut oil sample, containing 150 µg/g of α-tocopherol and 250 µg/g of γ-tocopherol and 15 µg/g of δ-tocopherol was found to be no more stable than one containing 250 µg/g of γ-tocopherol alone.